That's the message the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management delivered Thursday in announcing that wind farms off the Mid-Atlantic coast would pose no significant environmental or socioeconomic threats.

It piggybacked another BOEM decision to open a 45-day window for energy companies to express interest in harnessing the clean but expensive energy source from a 113,00-acre zone located 23 miles off Virginia Beach.

"Offshore wind holds incredible potential for our country, and we're moving full-steam ahead to accelerate the siting, leasing, and construction of new projects," Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.

The U.S. lags behind other countries concerning offshore wind; only one project, Cape Wind in Massachusetts, is under development. Noting it took years to approve, Salazar promised to reduce regulatory hurdles.

Thursday's announcement, which included areas off Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, was applauded by environmental groups and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who embraces an "all of the above" approach to energy development.

"America must continue to generate electricity from traditional sources such as coal, nuclear and natural gas, while moving forward in pursuit of innovative alternative sources like wind, solar and biomass," McDonnell said in a statement.

Thursday's decision is expected to bring a slew of proposals from energy companies.

Officials from Dominion Virginia Power, the state's largest electricity provider, said they considering building as many as 400 turbines — enough power for 500,000 homes. Dominion is also looking at developing an underwater transmission line that would connect to a Virginia Beach substation.

While offshore wind is often touted as an economic development tool, detractors complain it is more expensive than most fossil fuels. They also point to growing natural gas production in the U.S., a phenomena fueled by a controversial drilling method called hydraulic-fracturing.